Table of Contents

Introduction

Due to rising costs and/or shortages of some traditional bedding
materials for livestock housing, many producers are looking for
alternative materials. Some of these materials are by-products from
manufacturing and processing companies that have found innovative
ways to manage their waste more resourcefully (Table 1). This factsheet
explains factors to consider when evaluating alternative bedding
materials for livestock housing.

Selection of an alternative bedding material varies with the farm
and depends on the type of housing, bedding management and type
of manure handling system. Switching to an alternative bedding material
can provide an economic benefit to the operation and an opportunity
to improve animal health and welfare through improved bedding practices.

Table 1. Examples of alternative bedding materials

Paper Products

Product

Source

shredded paper/cardboard

industries, offices, residences

shredded drywall paper

industries, construction

paper sludge

industry (paper mill wastewater)

paper fibre

puping process by-product

Wood Products

Product

Source

recycled wood products

industries, construction

sawdust from furniture plants

industries, construction

Separate Manure Solids

Product

Source

separated manure solids

anaerobic digester

separated manure solids

solid liquid separator

composted manure

drum composter

Other Organic Products

Product

Source

mushroom farm compost

mushroom farm

peat moss

peat mine

Evaluating Bedding Materials

Due to limited research on alternative bedding materials, evaluating
the suitability of alternative bedding materials for livestock housing
is challenging. Consider a number of key factors, including the
impact on animal health and the barn environment, when deciding
if the alternative material meets the farm's financial and operational
needs and goals.

Operational Impact

Availability - Make sure the new material will
meet the long-term needs of the barn. Find a reliable supplier who
can provide bedding materials year round. In areas with a small
agricultural land base and high livestock densities, the demand
for agriculture-based bedding materials could be high. In this situation,
it may make sense to switch to alternative materials to ensure a
consistent supply.

Material Handling and Storage - Labour efficiency
is a critical factor in sustaining a farm operation. Switching to
a new system should not result in extra labour to obtain, handle,
clean and dispose of the bedding material.

It is important to assess if the alternative bedding material
will require a change in the storage system as the facility set-up
may vary depending on the choice of material. Switching to bale
straw requires a larger storage area with plenty of air flow around
the bales to prevent spoilage. Organic bedding material (e.g., shavings,
sawdust and shredded paper) requires storage in a dry and clean
facility. Commercially produced organic bedding material usually
comes in bags and is normally suppled year round, therefore requiring
a smaller storage area.

Manure Management System - Assess the effect
of switching to an alternative bedding material on the manure handling
and treatment system (e.g., pumps, barn cleaners and composting
or anaerobic digestion systems). Switching to an alternative bedding
material that calls for major changes in the manure handling system
could require additional financial investment. A change in bedding
material can also impact the waste management system. An operation
switching from composting straw bedding waste to composting a wood-based
bedding material has to consider the effect on the composting process
because of the higher carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio. Some paper-based
bedding materials can also clump together, making spreading on land
or composting more difficult to handle.

Economics - Switching to an alternative material
could increase the risk of uncertainty regarding supply and cost
of material. A case study conducted by researchers from the University
of New Hampshire showed that 26% of farmers reported switching primary
bedding materials between 2003-2013, of which 82% converted from
sawdust or shavings to a non-woody bedding type, citing mill closings
and increased cost (Smith et al., 2017). Select alternative bedding
materials that are competitively priced. Money can be saved if large
on-farm storage space is reduced and material is delivered on demand,
year round.

The cost advantage of switching to an alternative bedding material
is unique to each operation and must be individually determined.
Make sure to check the quantity of material required and the cost
implication. Sometimes, inexpensive materials that require twice
the amount of the current bedding may not be a good buy because
the volume needed results in higher costs.

Animal Health and Comfort

Health - Animal health is a critical factor when
considering alternative bedding materials. The presence of bacteriological,
physical and chemical contaminants in bedding materials may pose
a health risk to livestock, operators and consumers.

Comfort - Dairy cows prefer bedding materials
that are soft, dry and clean, as they provide a more comfortable
resting area for them. Resting areas with comfortable bedding material
encourage animals to rest at least 12-14 hr a day. The material
must provide non-abrasive cushioning for all points of contact (i.e.,
hocks, knees, hips and udders).

A study on Nova Scotia dairy farms using compost bedding showed
that cows spent over 1.5 hr more in kiln-dried shavings than in
wood-wallboard bedding material, suggesting that resting time varies,
depending on how comfortable the bedding material is (LeBlanc et
al., 2013) (Figure 1).

Environmental Impact

Crop Production - Ensure the alternative bedding
material is biodegradable and suitable for crop production. The
rate of breakdown and the products of decomposition are important
considerations. As they decompose, some materials, depending on
their composition, can tie up important nutrients (e.g., nitrogen)
for a period of time, making it unavailable to the crop. The release
of nutrients following decomposition may not coincide with crop
demand.

Land Application - Almost all bedding material
is land-applied as a nutrient source for plants. It is important
to choose bedding materials that will have a minimum adverse impact
on the environment. Large pieces of plastic that survive manure
handling, storage and spreading are unsightly and environmentally
irresponsible. Glass and metal shards spread on land are also a
concern. The effects of chemical contaminants such as polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals in bedding materials are harder
to assess and are of greater concern.

Characteristics of Alternative Bedding
Materials

It is important to check these properties of alternative bedding
material before it is accepted at the farm.

Absorbency

The Absorbency Factor (AF) of a bedding material is its capacity
to hold moisture from manure and urine. AF indicates the weight
of water held per unit weight of the material. Table 2 lists the
average absorption capacities for some traditional and alternative
bedding materials. These factors are intended to be a rough guide,
as absorbency of materials depends on different variables (e.g.,
source of material, initial moisture content and degree of grinding).

If there is no information on the absorbency of an alternative
bedding material, estimate absorbency using the following method:

Place 1 kg (2-3 lb) of the bedding material in a bag made of
porous but non-absorbent material (e.g., onion bag or one leg
of a pair of panty-hose) and weigh it.

Using a 20-L (5 gal) pail filled with water, place the bag in
the pail and leave it completely immersed for 24 hr. Be sure to
use enough water so that some free water is left in the container
at the end of 24 hr.

Take the bag out of the water and hang to drain but only until
it has stopped dripping, not so long that the sample has started
to dry out.

Reweigh the bag of bedding and calculate the absorbency factor
using the following formula: Absorbency Factor = (weight after
soaking - original weight) ÷ original weight.

If the bedding material and bag weighed 1 kg before soaking and
3.5 kg after, the absorbency factor is: (3.5 - 1) ÷ 1 = 2.5,
which means the material has the capacity to hold 2.5 times its
weight in water.

Many commercially available paper- and wood-based bedding materials
will be highly absorbent if kiln dried prior to delivery. Alternative
bedding materials should be carefully evaluated for their absorbency
and the amount of bedding required to maintain animal dryness and
comfort. Other properties such as compressibility, abrasiveness,
roughness and surface wetness of the bedding material also have
an impact on animal comfort and ultimately on their health and productivity.

Dry Matter Content (DM)

Different types of bedding materials have different dry matter
(DM) levels. Cows tend to avoid wet bedding, and this can decrease
their lying time. A study conducted by Reich, et al., shows that
cows spent 1.1 hr less per day lying on a wet sawdust bedding (DM
34.7%) compared to dry sawdust bedding (DM 89.8%). Studies also
show that bedding with higher levels of moisture content have increased
levels of microbial activity, leading to harmful levels of environmental
pathogens. David Wolfgang, Pennsylvania Extension Veterinarian,
and Dan McFarland, Pennsylvania Extension Engineer, recommend bedding
materials with at least 60% DM for dairy barns. Most bedding materials
made from by-products from process industries, such as pulp and
paper and paper recycling facilities, contain high levels of moisture
in their raw state. These materials are often kiln-dried to reduce
the moisture content to less than 10%.

Particle Size

Material particle size influences the bacteria population in livestock
bedding. Fine-sized materials provide more surface area for bacteria
to grow compared to materials with larger particles (Figure 2).
According to Dr. J.S. Hogan, Agriculture Research and Development
Center, Ohio State University, the bacteria count of these common
bedding materials generally ranks as follows:

chopped straw > long straw

sawdust > shavings

chopped newspaper > shredded paper

Avoid materials that are too fine, as they tend to stick to the
skin and teat ends, exposing them to higher concentrations of bacteria.

Clean Material

Bedding material should be clean and free of foreign objects.
Sharp objects (e.g., glass, nails and metal shards) in bedding material
can cause physical injury both externally and internally. Plastic,
if ingested, can cause digestive obstruction or, in some cases,
death. Plastics are also a concern when the manure/bedding mixtures
are to be land-applied.

Bacterial Contaminants

Bedding with low bacteria counts can improve milk quality and
reduce the level of mastitis in a cow herd. Many organic bedding
materials have relatively few mastitis pathogens prior to use, but
the count increases within 24 hr. Counts above 1 million colony-forming
units (CFU)/mL increase the incidence of mastitis. The goal is to
maintain the bacterial count below this level in any dairy bedding.
Fresh and clean bedding will normally have bacteria counts lower
than 5,000 CFU/mL of bedding (Reneau, 2001). Good bedding management
practices (i.e., changing soiled bedding material daily and all
the material regularly) also play a critical role in controlling
bacterial growth in bedding.

Chemical Contaminants

Bedding material must be free of chemical contaminants. Due to
limited research studies, the risks associated with chemical contaminants
in alternative bedding materials are not well known.

Depending upon the chemical, livestock could suffer external and/or
internal injuries. Chemicals in the bedding could contaminate the
meat, eggs and milk produced. They may also be harmful to crop production
or the environment, once the bedding material has been land-applied.
For example, land application of materials with a high or low pH
in large quantities can affect soil pH, potentially reducing productivity.
Lead, asbestos, volatile organic chemicals and wood preservatives
are contaminants to avoid.

Dairy producers should thoroughly investigate the risks associated
with a new material prior to deciding if it is suitable:

Ensure the material is environmentally safe and contains no
contaminants that are unacceptable to animal health and land application.

Contact a veterinarian for livestock health-related concerns.

Ask for information on how the bedding material was produced,
handled, stored and transported.

Consult experts who know the manufacturing process and can help
assess risk to livestock, manure treatment systems (e.g., composting
and digesters) and crops, if land-applied.

Contact nutrient management consultants who can interpret the
test results of the material and assess its impact on the environment.

Compare the concentration of trace elements present in the material
to allowable concentrations for non-agricultural source materials
that can be applied to agricultural land in Ontario, which are
described in Schedule 5 of Ontario Regulation 267/03.

Summary

It is up to producers to find the most suitable bedding material
for their operation. Ask suppliers to analyze the material for different
health and environmental properties and provide proof of quality
prior to accepting the material. The person receiving the material
is potentially liable for any contamination associated with the
storage and use of the material. Switching to alternative bedding
material may provide an economic and environmental alternative to
the operation. It also offers an opportunity to improve animal health
and welfare through improved bedding practices.

As part of providing accessible customer service, please email
the Agriculture Information Contact Centre (ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca)
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